James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper

        'That was a Disarming Spell,' Ralph said defensively. 'My wand is a little sensitive about those. The problem isn't getting them to work but keeping them from working too well.'

        'Hmm!' Rose said pointedly, 'I wonder why that might be?'

'So you really tackled him, eh?' Ralph said to Albus, reverting to a former topic.

        'Knocked him clean off his feet,' James said, nudging his brother. 'It was pretty good even if it did get me into trouble.'

        'You need to learn some self-control, Albus,' Rose said, finally putting her book aside. 'He may be hard to like, but you are at Hogwarts now. You can't go around tackling everyone who says something you don't like.'

        'Something I don't like?' Albus said, glaring at Rose. 'Did you miss the part where he insulted our dead granddad? There's such a thing as honor, you know! I'll do it again if he so much as looks at me sideways.'

        'I didn't say you shouldn't retaliate, Albus,' Rose said meaningfully. 'I just said we're at Hogwarts now. You retaliate with magic.'

        'Yikes,' James said, laughing a little nervously. 'The apple really fell far from the tree with you, Rosie.'

        Rose looked hurt. 'I may be my mum's daughter, but I'll have you remember that I'm a Weasley, too.'

        Albus grimaced. 'Well, I can't do any real magic yet. Besides, it felt so good to knock him down.'

        Rose shot James a serious look. 'Then I hope you're getting your bum in gear. Looks like you'll be spending a lot of the year sitting on your little brother.'

        'He's his own problem from now on,' James said. 'Besides, Scorpius deserved it. That stupid twit was trying to Stun Albus. His parents have been teaching him curses already. It's a good thing Albus has a good reach.'

        'Well, all I can say is I'm going to be doing some research on this Borley creature,' Rose said as the train slowed, entering Hogsmeade station.

        Albus raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. 'You mean there's a magical creature you haven't learned about already?'

        'Sounds like trouble to me,' Ralph admitted. 'If Merlin said the thing had turned dangerous, I'd guess it's definitely something to look out for.'

        James zipped his satchel and slipped it over his shoulders. 'I just want to know why it's been following me around. Why'd it pick me?'

        'Obviously, it thought it could trick you into using magic on it,' Rose reasoned. 'It almost worked too.'

        'That's why it ran away when you threatened it at the doctor's office,' Ralph added, raising his eyebrows. 'You said you told it you were a wizard, but that you didn't have your wand with you. It realized there was no point in making a mess if you weren't going to zap it, so it covered its tracks by jumping back a few minutes and undoing everything.'

        'Yeah, well, aren't you all brilliant?' James grumbled. 'I'd like to see how you lot would've handled it if you'd been there. Besides, it was Scorpius and Albus that finally allowed the thing to get a little magical snack and turn all scary.'

        'Don't blame me,' Albus said, still trying to press the wrinkles out of his robes with his hands. 'If you'd have attacked Scorpius with me, you could've disarmed him before anything happened. I bet old Merlin would've approved of that.'

        A few minutes later, the train shuddered to a stop. All around there came the sound of opening doors, footsteps, and chattering, excited voices as the train's occupants filled the corridors, streaming toward the exits. James, Albus, Rose, and Ralph gathered their things and joined the throng.

        As they climbed out onto the wet platform of Hogsmeade station, James caught sight of Hagrid standing under a nearby lamppost, barely fitting under it.

        'First-years,' he called in his great, gruff voice. 'First-years, this way! The rest of yeh go an' find the carriages out front. If yeh don' know where to go, follow the ones that do. Step lively now.'

        James grabbed Albus' robe, stopping him.

        'Hey,' he said, quietly, 'I mean it. Don't worry about the Sorting, little brother.'

        'I'm not, actually,' Albus replied, shrugging. 'I remembered something Dad told me back at platform nine and three-quarters.'

        James blinked. 'Well, good. What'd he say?'

        'He said that the Sorting Hat will take my wishes into account. He said that if I really don't want to, the Hat won't make me be a Slytherin.'

        'You, a Slytherin?' Scorpius' voice sneered behind them. James rolled his eyes. He should've known the little squid was the spying sort.

        'Get away from us, Scorpius,' Albus said, gritting his teeth.

        'Or what?' the boy grinned. 'Are you going to risk getting your brother into trouble again by rushing me? That only works once, Potter.'

        Albus nodded. 'I'll do that and more if you don't watch yourself.'

        'That's why you'd never make it into Slytherin,' Scorpius said airily, turning to walk away. 'As you saw on the train, Slytherins fight with their brains and a wand. Your sort has to rely on brute force. But what do you expect from a son of Harry Potter?'

        Albus tensed to lunge at Scorpius again, but James grabbed his shoulder. 'Don't you dare go after him again, you dolt. That's just what he wants you to do.'

        'He's ragging on Dad!' Albus hissed.

        'He's trying to provoke you. Save it for later. You've got the whole school year to hate him.'

        'That's right, Potter,' Scorpius said as he turned back, still grinning. 'Listen to your brother. He knows what happens when you go up against a Slytherin. Did he tell you what happened when he tried to steal the Slytherin Captain's Quidditch broom last year? Nasty business, that. I hear you ended up facedown in the mud.'

        James let go of Albus' shoulder, his face flushing with anger. 'You just want to watch it, Malfoy. We're not afraid of the Slytherins.'

        'Then you really are as foolish as you look,' Scorpius said, his grin vanishing. 'A Malfoy is back in the House of Slytherin again. We don't play politics. You best watch yourselves.' He glared at the two brothers, then turned, his cloak flapping, and disappeared into the throng.

        'Arrogant little nutter, isn't he?' Albus said. James glanced at him and grinned.

'See you in the Great Hall, Al.'

        'Yeah,' Albus replied, nodding toward the carriages. 'Have fun with the Thestrals. Don't let them frighten you too much.'

        'You're the one who has nightmares about them, not me,' James said, rolling his eyes. 'Like I told you, they're invisible.'

        Albus simply looked at James, a curious expression on his face.

        'What?' James asked.

        'Nothing,' Albus said quickly. 'I was just thinking of something else Dad said on the platform, right before I got on the train.'

        James stopped and furrowed his brow. 'What'd he say?'

        Albus shrugged. 'He said James might have a little surprise with the Thestrals.'

        With that, Albus turned, shouldered his pack, and walked toward Hagrid at the far end of the platform.